At the second symposium, speakers from Germany and Sweden will show that it is possible to make major changes to a country’s science system.

The first Science in Transition symposium made an important contribution to the discourse in the Netherlands about the quality and relevance of science. At the second symposium, speakers from Germany and Sweden will show that it is possible to make major changes to a country’s science system. What has been the impact of Germany’s extra four billion euro investment in excellent research? And how is Sweden creating a better balance between excellent research on the one hand and education and societal impact on the other?

In the second part of the programme, representatives of the Academy, NWO, VSNU and Science in Transition will debate the challenges facing the Netherlands and possible solutions. Prior to the debate, sociologist Willem Schinkel, malaria expert Bart Knols and representatives of two student-led initiatives will show that change is indeed possible.